With temperatures starting to dip, a soothing bowl of miso soup is truly a delight. Miso is also packed with nutrients, and is a staple food seasoning in Japan with over a thousand years of history! What Is Miso? So what exactly is miso? Miso is a fermented soybean paste, and its basic ingredients are a mixture of: soybeans, the fungus koji, salt, and grains (typically rice or barley). There are over 1,000 different miso producers in Japan, with wide regional differences in t

The bento box might just seem like a trendy Japanese meal with a cute presentation, but bento boxes have been a staple of Japanese culinary history for centuries -- about 10 centuries, in fact! The word “bento” is derived from the Chinese word biàndāng, a Southern Song dynasty slang term which means “convenient,” and refers to both the bento meal and the bento box itself. The earliest and most basic iteration of the bento can be traced back to the Kamakura period (1185 to 13

Who doesn’t love tempura? Golden fried with the perfect amount of crunch, yet somehow still light and airy, tempura is absolutely delightful and delicious! Check out these 10 fun facts about this favorite appetizer and side dish below! 1. Classic tempura batter consists of only three simple ingredients: cake flour, eggs, and cold water (sometimes with added ice, or sparkling water instead). 2. Tempura was influenced by and adapted from fritter-cooking techniques, introduced b

If you haven’t tried mochi yet, you’re missing out! Mochi is a soft, chewy, delicious Japanese rice cake that comes in many different varieties and flavors. It is enjoyed year-round in Japan but especially during the Japanese New Year. A similar type of rice cake is also found in Korean cuisine, called tteok. Mochi is made using a short grain glutinous rice (called mochigome) that is steamed then pounded repeatedly, by traditional mallets or modern machines. The repetitive po